Regional Climate Change and Vectorborne Diseases Meeting

26-28 June 2012 / Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Climate change is associated with a number of adverse health impacts. Vectorborne diseases such as malaria and dengue, which are transmitted by the bite of insect vectors, may be particularly impacted because the behaviour and distribution of vectors are highly dependent on climatic factors. Climate change effects such as warming may affect determinants of disease transmission and result in increased incidence of vectorborne diseases. Responding to this risk, the Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) has funded a WHO-managed project in Cambodia, Mongolia and Papua New Guinea to build capacity to mitigate the impacts of climate change on vectorborne diseases.

In each project country, project management groups consisting of staff from sectors including health, meteorological, environmental and agricultural have been convened to oversee and conduct project implementation at the country level. Surveillance, awareness-raising, vector-control and other activities are currently underway and the project will end in June 2012. A regional end-of project meeting is planned to bring together participating staff from different sectors and each country to exchange experiences and best practices and discuss future needs to adequately address climate change and vectorborne diseases in the Region.

At the end of the meeting, the participants will have:

reviewed and documented implementation, outcomes and best-practices of the KOICA-funded project aiming to lessen the impacts of climate change on vectorborne diseases;

identified needs, research gaps and synergies with other partners for future climate change and vectorborne disease activities at the country level; and

provided inputs to identify future Regional priorities in the area of climate change and vectorborne diseases.